Cristiano Ronaldo Makes It Four Ballon D or Can He Sail On

Cristiano Ronaldo was named best player for 2016 after his fine displays for club and country by France Football. Ronaldo scored an impressive 51 goals in 50 games and helped Real Madrid win their 11^th Champions League title. It did not end there as he helped take Portugal to the final of the UEFA European Championships in France though he was substituted earlier on in the first half Portugal won by a solitary goal thanks to a last minute strike by Eder. This happens to be Ronaldo’s fourth golden ball and his third at Real Madrid having won his maiden edition in 2008 at Manchester United. At 31, can Cristiano Ronaldo sail on or would his body take a toll on him and cause him to slow down?

Cristiano Ronaldo has done well relatively because 31 is considered an old age in football. At 31 Ronaldinho went back to his native home to play for Flamengo because his best days were over and he had become overweight because he felt he had won everything there is to win in the game. Ronaldo Luís Nazáriode Lima was 31 in 2007 and frozen out of the Real Madrid squad he made a case for Milan in the Italian Serie A and his performances were sub-par. Cristiano has not had any of that but has enjoyed a stellar ride to this present day winning the Ballon D’or three times in the last four years.

Honestly, Cristiano Ronaldo might not admit it but his rivalry with Lionel Messi has undoubtedly helped him in staying fit and concentrated on the modern game. Ronaldinho’s talent was something else and at his prime he did not get any competition from any extraordinary player until Fabio Cannavaro’s heroics at the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 ended Ronaldinho’s run as the world’s best player with Kaka continuing the dominance for a year and Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi taken the football world by storm.

Can Cristiano Ronaldo Win the Ballon D’or Again Heading into Mid-30?

Real Madrid has started this season on a high, first in La Liga with 37 points and paired against Napoli at the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid have gotten a relatively easier pairing because it could have drawn formidable teams like Arsenal.

Zinedine Zidane has placed a sense of urgency in the Madrid set up and as a former player he knows what it means to wear the shirt and there is no player whose dedication to the team surpass Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo and Madrid has won La Liga once in his seven years at the club with cross town rivals Atletico Madrid winning one and Barcelona winning five titles but this season has a lot of surprise for the so-called white angels and if Madrid wins the league, it would be a record 32 titles and their first since 2012.

Nature certainly takes it course along the line in life and no matter the career any human finds itself, something footballers, football managers, fans and Cristiano Ronaldo himself knows too much but with the kind of determination and mental strength he has demonstrated down the years there is more for improvement for the Portuguese star and more individual accolades to be won.

Real Madrid is competing in the Club World Cup in Japan and Cristiano Ronaldo would like to make it three out of three after winning with Manchester United in 2008 and Real Madrid in 2014.

Real Madrid faces Club America on Thursday, December 15 at 2:30AM PST.